Dundalk fans celebrate a draw with AZ Alkmaar in the 2016 Europa League

If they do, they would face AEK Larnaca who were certainly better than City when the sides met last year but not to the extent that you would not give Dundalk a chance.

In all, Dundalk would need to win four ties to reach the group stages – and no Irish club has won more than two - but Stephen Kenny has never been one to limit ambitions.

If they do go on a run, it would interrupt their league campaign, although there are four months to fit in the remaining 13 games as well as the FAI Cup and EA Sports Cup.

But if City are beaten by Legia Warsaw in the Champions League, they would have a two-week break from Europe as a result of being given a bye for the Europa League second qualifying round, while Dundalk may be distracted.

In that window, they are down to play Bray Wanderers and Limerick and, if that scenario arises, John Caulfield would see it as a chance to steal a march on their rivals.

The €260,000 they miss out on by skipping that round is dwarfed by the difference between finishing first and second in the league so the pragmatist in Caulfield will, on balance, probably see it as a positive.

Kenny is more of a romantic and does not regret missing out on a title with Derry City on goal difference to Shelbourne in 2006.

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